Deal overwhelmingly unlikely says Merkel; Johnson, Varadkar to meet

Boris Johnson will meet Irish PM Leo Varadkar later this week as Brexit talks stand on the brink of collapse.

Boris Johnson before his meeting with European Parliament president David Sassoli. Picture: AFP.

Boris Johnson will meet the Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar later this week in a last gasp attempt to thrash out a deal as Brexit talks stand on the brink of collapse.

Angela Merkel has declared a deal was “overwhelmingly unlikely” after a “frank” exchange with the British PM while European Council president Donald Tusk accused Mr Johnson of a “stupid blame game.”

David Sassoli, European parliament president, was also pessimistic about a resolution, saying after talks with Mr Johnson that there were only two options left: “an extension or no deal.”

It comes as Westminster was once again prorogued, this time for five days from late Tuesday local time until next Monday, when the Queen will open a new session detailing the Johnson government’s plans.

There is no controversy over this suspension as it is a more traditional length than the earlier five week attempt by Mr Johnson.

Mr Varadkar and Mr Johnson spoke by telephone on Tuesday night and agreed further border negotiations, as the window to negotiate a Brexit deal begins to shut ahead of a European Union summit on October 17 and a French demand that any proposals have to be put before the EU by the weekend.

Downing Street said the phone call between Mr Johnson and Mr Varadkar “was constructive.’’ Number 10 added: “Both sides strongly reiterated their desire to reach a Brexit deal. They hope to meet in person later this week.’’

In her meeting, hours earlier, Mrs Merkel told Mr Johnson Northern Ireland was a “special problem’’ of the UK. She said she would not support a deal unless Ulster remained in the customs union and the Irish Republic had to have a veto if Northern Ireland wanted to leave it.

Mr Tusk took Mr Johnson to task over his insistence on leaving on October 31 regardless of whether there is a deal, tweeting: “What is at stake is not some stupid blame game’’.

He added: “At stake is the future of Europe and the UK as well as the security and interests of our people. You don’t want a deal, you don’t want an extension, you don’t want to revoke, quo vadis?’’

.@BorisJohnson, what’s at stake is not winning some stupid blame game. At stake is the future of Europe and the UK as well as the security and interests of our people. You don’t want a deal, you don’t want an extension, you don’t want to revoke, quo vadis?

— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) October 8, 2019

Mr Johnson’s two borders, four-year plan to deal with the Irish border conundrum has been roundly rejected by the EU, which has taken the lead from Mr Varadkar.

The Democratic Unionist party leader Arlene Foster - which provides confidence and supply to Mr Johnson’s government, said: “The Prime Minister’s proposals have flushed out Dublin’s real intentions to trap Northern Ireland in the EU Customs Union forever, where Dublin rather than the United Kingdom’s elected representatives would be in the driving seat.

She insisted: “We will not accept any such ultimatum or outcome.”